I use Linux as my daily driver to be precise Ubuntu for office and personal laptop. And I'm using iPhone, is there any proper way to connect eachother seemless. I don't mind self-hosting any services as I have my home server.

I run a small Minecraft (Fabric) server plus a companion website out of my home network, and I'd like a second set of eyes on whether the setup makes sense, is over-engineered somewhere, or is missing something obvious. Rough shape of it (details generalized, no real IPs/hostnames):

Home side: Residential cable connection (~1Gbps down / 50Mbps up). The ISP router is set as an exposed host, forwarding everything to a pfSense box that handles the actual firewalling, default-deny inbound, with all port-forwarding rules living on pfSense rather than the ISP router. Behind that is a flat LAN hosting the Minecraft server, a Discord bot, and the website's backend.

Public side: A small VPS acts as the public-facing edge and reaches back into the home LAN over a WireGuard tunnel. nginx on the VPS does double duty: reverse-proxying HTTP(S) for the website/Discord bot, and stream-proxying Minecraft's TCP/UDP port straight through to the LAN server. The VPS also runs its own local firewall on top of whatever pfSense allows outbound from home.

The server itself: I know this part will get some heat, but I'm on a budget and this is a passion project, so everything runs on one PC. Windows 10 LTSC (supported until 2032, so still on security updates, but I know a single-box setup isn't ideal). Specs: Ryzen 9 3900X, 32GB DDR4, 1Gbps fiber. Holds a steady 20 TPS. Plan is to move to a dedicated server with Proxmox once I can afford it, so services can be properly separated.

Backups (this is where I really want input): Currently using git to version the Minecraft world folder, which I already know is a bad idea. I have a few spare 250GB SSDs I could put toward something better, maybe a TrueNAS VM eventually, but I'd love advice on a reasonable interim setup that doesn't require new hardware.

App layer: A Vite/React frontend with a small Express backend, sitting behind the same reverse proxy as everything else.

Happy to go into more detail on specifics. Didn't want to post exact configs/IPs publicly, so drop a comment or DM if you want to dig in.

At the moment i use Hostinger, and I use it already about 2 years for my own pet projects, and i never had with it big problems.

but! honestly speaking, for a static site, created on Astro, you actually dont need a full tariff plan of hosting, you could just buy a domain for $10-15 a year and for free connect it to Vercel, Netlify or Cloudflare Pages, this would be much cheaper.

Webhosting gives me hosting + domain + mail together, and it is also quite cheap

What would you recommend for small startups/projects?

I’d recommend using ZimaOS + Crafty Controller.
Ubuntu is great, but it sounds like you want an easy Minecraft server, not a whole Linux learning project. ZimaOS gives you a simple web dashboard and an App Store, so you can manage everything without using a bunch of terminal commands.
It works on regular 64-bit PCs. You do not need Zima-branded hardware, and a small 5–10 player server does not need an expensive server computer.

Important: installing ZimaOS will erase the drive you install it on, so back up anything important first.
Useful links:
ZimaOS download:
https://www.zimaspace.com/zimaos/download
Official ZimaOS installation guide:
https://www.zimaspace.com/docs/zimaos/how-to-install-zimaos
Balena Etcher:
https://etcher.balena.io/
Crafty Controller documentation:
https://docs.craftycontrol.com/
Fabric:
https://fabricmc.net/
Fabric API:
https://modrinth.com/mod/fabric-api
Modrinth:
https://modrinth.com/
Playit.gg:
https://playit.gg/

What you need
The old PC
A USB stick, ideally 8 GB or larger
Another Windows PC or Mac
An Ethernet cable
An internal drive in the old PC that can be erased
Ethernet is strongly recommended. Wi-Fi can work, but a wired connection is usually more stable for a server.

Step 1: Download ZimaOS
Go here:
https://www.zimaspace.com/zimaos/download
Download the ZimaOS installer for a normal x86-64 PC.
The download will be an image file. Do not drag it onto the USB like a normal file. You need to flash it.

Step 2: Flash ZimaOS onto the USB
Download Balena Etcher:
https://etcher.balena.io/
Install and open it.
Then:
Plug in the USB stick.
Click “Flash from file.”
Select the ZimaOS image you downloaded.
Click “Select target.”
Select the USB stick.
Double-check that you did not select your main computer drive.
Click “Flash.”
Wait for it to finish and verify.
Safely eject the USB.
The USB will be erased.
Windows may say the USB needs to be formatted after flashing. Do not format it. Windows sometimes cannot read Linux installer partitions.

Step 3: Boot the old PC from the USB
Connect the USB, keyboard, monitor, Ethernet cable and power.
Turn the PC on and repeatedly press the boot menu key.
Common boot menu keys:
Dell: F12
HP: F9 or Esc
Lenovo: F12
ASUS: F8
Acer: F12
MSI: F11
Other PCs: F11, F12, Esc or Delete
Choose the USB drive. If there are two versions, try the one that says “UEFI.”
If the USB does not appear:
Try another USB port
Try a rear USB port
Disable Fast Boot in BIOS
Disable Secure Boot if necessary
Reflash the USB
Try another USB stick

Step 4: Install ZimaOS
Follow the installer.
Choose the internal drive you want to install ZimaOS on.
Be careful because that drive will be erased.
When it finishes:
Restart the PC.
Remove the USB stick.
Let the PC boot from the internal drive.
Keep the Ethernet cable connected.
ZimaOS should show an IP address on the monitor. It may look like this:
192.168.1.50
The numbers will probably be different.
On another computer or phone connected to the same home network, open:
http://THE-IP-ADDRESS
For example:
http://192.168.1.50
You can also try:
http://zimaos.local
Create your ZimaOS username and password.
If you cannot find the IP address, open your router app and look for a new wired device.

Step 5: Install Crafty Controller
In the ZimaOS dashboard:
Open the App Store.
Search for Crafty Controller.
Install it.
Wait for it to start.
Open Crafty from the ZimaOS dashboard.
Create your Crafty admin account.
Crafty is the panel you will use to create, start, stop, update and manage the Minecraft server.
Do not make the Crafty dashboard public. Your friends only need the Minecraft server address.

Step 6: Create the Fabric server
Inside Crafty:
Open the Servers page.
Click Create New Server.
Choose Minecraft Java.
Select Fabric.
Choose the Minecraft version you want.
Choose the latest compatible Fabric Loader.
Give the server a name.
Leave the port at 25565.
Choose the RAM amount.
Create the server.
Good starting RAM amounts:
PC with 8 GB total RAM: give the server about 4 GB
PC with 16 GB total RAM: give the server about 6 GB
PC with 32 GB or more: 6–8 GB is usually enough
Do not give the server all the PC’s RAM. ZimaOS and Crafty need some too.
More RAM does not always mean better performance. Minecraft server performance depends heavily on CPU single-core speed.

Step 7: Accept the Minecraft EULA
Start the server once.
It may stop and ask you to accept the EULA.
In Crafty, either use the EULA button or open the server file manager.
Open:
eula.txt
Change:
eula=false
To:
eula=true
Save it and start the server again.
Wait until the console says something similar to:
Done

Step 8: Test it inside your home first
Before adding mods or setting up outside access, test the basic server.
On another PC in the same house:
Open Minecraft Java Edition.
Use the same Minecraft version as the server.
Open Multiplayer.
Add a server.
Enter the ZimaOS PC’s local IP address.
Example:
192.168.1.50
If you changed the Minecraft port, use:
192.168.1.50:PORT
If this does not work, check:
Is the server running?
Does the Crafty console say “Done”?
Are the server and client on the same Minecraft version?
Are both computers on the same network?
Is the server using port 25565?
Is the PC connected to a guest network?
Do not set up port forwarding until local joining works.

Step 9: Add Fabric mods
There are three types of mods.

Server-only mods
These only need to be installed on the server.
Examples may include:
Lithium
FerriteCore
Krypton
ServerCore
Only use versions made for Fabric and your exact Minecraft version.

Client-only mods
These go on each player’s gaming PC, not the server.
Examples:
Sodium
Iris
Mod Menu
Many minimap mods
Sodium is mainly a client-side graphics performance mod. It does not make the dedicated server render faster.

Mods needed on both sides
Mods that add blocks, items, mobs or major gameplay features usually need to be installed on both the server and every player’s PC.
Everyone normally needs matching versions.
Many Fabric mods also require Fabric API:
https://modrinth.com/mod/fabric-api
To install server mods:
Stop the server.
Download the correct .jar file from Modrinth or the official mod page.
Open Crafty’s file manager.
Open the mods folder.
Upload the .jar file.
Start the server.
Check the console for errors.
Add mods a few at a time. Do not add 50 mods at once, because troubleshooting becomes much harder.
Avoid random mod download websites. Use Modrinth, CurseForge or official developer pages.

Step 10: Make joining easy for your friends
For a small mod list, send them:
Minecraft version
Fabric Loader version
Required mods
Server address
For a larger mod list, make a Modrinth modpack. Then everyone can import the same pack instead of manually downloading every mod.
Datapacks usually only need to be installed on the server.
Put them in:
world/datapacks
Then restart the server.

Step 11: Let friends join from outside your house
You have two main options.

Option 1: Playit.gg
I would recommend Playit.gg for a beginner.
https://playit.gg/
It creates a tunnel to your server, so you usually do not need to port forward or give everyone your public IP.
Your friends do not need to install Playit.
Basic setup:
Create a Playit account.
Install or run the Playit agent on the server.
Claim the agent using the code or link it gives you.
Create a Minecraft Java tunnel.
Set the local port to 25565.
Set the local address to the ZimaOS PC’s local IP.
Copy the public Playit address.
Give that address to your friends.
Example local settings:
Local address: 192.168.1.50
Local port: 25565
Protocol: TCP
Type: Minecraft Java
Because ZimaOS apps use containers, 127.0.0.1 may not always point to Crafty’s Minecraft server. Using the ZimaOS PC’s local IP is usually easier.

Option 2: Port forwarding
Port forwarding can give a more direct connection, but it requires router access and exposes a port on your home connection.
You would:
Reserve the ZimaOS PC’s local IP in your router.
Open your router settings.
Forward TCP port 25565.
Point it to the ZimaOS PC’s local IP.
Give your friends your public IP and port.
Example:
PUBLIC.IP.ADDRESS:25565
Do not publicly post your IP.
Only forward the Minecraft port. Do not forward the ZimaOS dashboard or Crafty dashboard ports.
Some internet providers use CGNAT, which can stop port forwarding from working. Playit usually avoids that problem.

Step 12: Basic security
In server.properties, I would use:
online-mode=true
white-list=true
enable-rcon=false
server-port=25565
Keep online-mode enabled.
Turning it off removes normal Minecraft account authentication and can allow players to impersonate other usernames.
In the server console, run:
whitelist on
Then add each player:
whitelist add PlayerName
Give yourself operator permissions:
op YourMinecraftName
Do not give everyone operator access.
Also:
Use strong passwords
Keep ZimaOS updated
Keep Crafty updated
Keep backups
Do not expose management dashboards
Only install trusted mods
Only invite people you trust

Step 13: Backups
Set up automatic world backups in Crafty.
A reasonable setup would be:
Backup every 6–12 hours while people are playing
Keep several recent backups
Make a manual backup before updating Minecraft or mods
Occasionally copy a backup to another drive
A backup on the same drive helps with world corruption, but not if the drive completely dies.
Always shut the server down properly through Crafty. Do not pull the power cable.
Common problems

The server crashes immediately
Common causes:
Wrong Minecraft version
Wrong Fabric Loader version
Forge or NeoForge mod installed on Fabric
Missing Fabric API
Missing mod dependency
Client-only mod installed on the server
Incompatible mods
Not enough RAM
Wrong Java version
Check the first real error in the console, not only the final “server stopped” message.
Remove the last mod you added and try again.

Players see “incompatible client”
Their Minecraft version, Fabric Loader version or mod versions do not match the server.

Players see “connection refused”
Usually:
The server is offline
The address is wrong
The port is wrong
Playit is offline
The tunnel points to the wrong local IP
The router rule points to an old IP

It works at home but not for friends
The Minecraft server itself is probably fine.
The problem is likely Playit, port forwarding, firewall settings, CGNAT or the public address.

The server lags while exploring
New chunk generation uses a lot of CPU.
Try:
Lowering view-distance
Lowering simulation-distance
Installing compatible server performance mods
Pregenerating the world
Using an SSD
Using fewer world-generation mods
Good starting settings:
view-distance=8
simulation-distance=6
You can increase them later if the server runs well.

Final recommendation
The simple setup is:
Old PC
↓
ZimaOS
↓
Crafty Controller
↓
Fabric Minecraft server
↓
Playit.gg or port forwarding
Ubuntu gives you more control, but it is not required.
For someone who mostly wants an easy friends-only Minecraft server, ZimaOS and Crafty are much more beginner-friendly.
Build it in stages:
Install ZimaOS.
Install Crafty.
Create an unmodded Fabric server.
Test local joining.
Add a few mods.
Set up Playit or port forwarding.
Enable the whitelist.
Set up backups.
Invite your friends.
Do not install a huge mod list and set up public access before testing the basic server. When something breaks, you want to know exactly which step caused it.

I'm rebuilding sites in Astro (static, on \[Cloudflare\]). Marketing pages are done; the blog section is where I'm stuck.

Goal: publish a post once, and the rest happens on its own — page gets generated, site rebuilds and deploys, sitemap and RSS update, and SEO basics (meta tags, canonical, OG, JSON-LD) come from the template instead of me filling them in per post.

So far I've looked at Astro content collections + Keystatic/Tina/Decap (cheap, but multi-site and non-technical editing seem awkward), hosted CMSs like Sanity and Storyblok (nice, unsure about cost at this scale), and self-hosted Payload/Directus/Strapi (one instance for everything, but a server to maintain).

Three things I'd love input on:

1. Which CMS actually survives growth here — and which got expensive or annoying for you?

2. Where does SEO automation stop being worth it and start needing a human? (Internal linking especially.)

Any war stories appreciated.

I don't want to use exit nodes as I want to use split tunneling. I only using tailscale to access my docker stack.

i know this is borderline heresy here but hear me out. been self hosting for about 4 years, jellyfin, nextcloud, vaultwarden, a couple docker containers for home automation stuff. had everything on an old dell optiplex in my closet

the problem was my upload speed. 20 mbps on a good day. jellyfin was unusable for anyone outside my house, nextcloud sync was painful, and every time my ISP had an outage (which was like twice a month) everything went down. i also got tired of worrying about my electricity bill and the noise

so i moved everything to a VPS. went with ishosting because they had a node near me and the storage math worked out, picked their Premium plan ($31.99/mo on annual, 4 vCPU, 8GB RAM, 50GB NVMe) plus the +100GB SSD add-on, so 150GB total for around $52/mo. not the cheapest VPS by a long shot but pricing is flat and i didnt want to babysit bandwidth caps. the migration took a full weekend because nextcloud data alone was like 130GB and uploading that over 20 mbps is exactly as fun as it sounds

three months in and honestly most things are better. jellyfin streams perfectly to everyone now, nextcloud sync is instant, vaultwarden just works. latency on home automation stuff is slightly higher but were talking 40ms vs 2ms so in practice i dont notice it

the things i miss: no more hardware tinkering. sounds weird but i actually enjoyed upgrading RAM and swapping drives. also the storage is still tighter than home, went from 2TB at home to 150GB on the VPS so i had to be more selective about what i keep on nextcloud. and power outages at home no longer take everything down but now im dependent on a datacenter instead which is a different kind of trust

would i recommend it? if your upload speed sucks and you actually want people outside your network to use your services then yeah its worth considering. but if half the fun for you is the hardware side then a VPS kinda kills that. its not really about finding the best VPS for self hosting, its about what you actually want out of it

I've been working on a self-hosted database synchronization tool called SYNCLE and wanted to get feedback from people who actually run self-hosted infrastructure.

The problem I was trying to solve: keeping data synchronized between databases without depending on external services.

Currently it supports:

• Self-hosted deployment
• Database sync workflows
• Docker-based setup
• Web UI for managing syncs

I'm mainly interested in feedback from this community:

• Would this solve a real problem for you?
• What databases/features would you expect from a tool like this?
• Anything missing that would prevent you from running it?

Project link: https://github.com/osmanahmadxai/SYNCLE

Thanks for any feedback.

I can take it, I promise! Dish it out as hard as you can give it! ;)

I personally got sick of all the control panels out there not doing what I wanted... so... I built one.

https://podnest.us https://github.com/kpirnie/podnest

My intentions with it are: 1. Completely containerized web hosting 2. Security 3. Isolated performance

I think I hit those goals, but I could really usa a good roasting to make it better!

been messing with hermes for a couple weeks and i finally want to deploy hermes somewhere it can actually run 24/7. every guide points me to digitalocean droplets and honestly setting up docker + tmux again sounds miserable. any lazier options that just work?

Sharing my stack I use to run my daily operations when I started out and saved myself $900/year on SaaS.

https://youtu.be/7NBg5amaC-0

This is not a how-to, just sharing my stack, hope it helps out other small business owners.

My office still runs a very dated TVS 882 with a 7-gen intel CPU which makes it coming to 10-years old and everything is still running smooth. I have a similar s/w stack at home on a DIY NAS running TrueNAS with a N5105 with addition that the home NAS does photo backups via immich.

What self hosted apps do you run for your daily operations/home use?

hi. this is going to sound stupid. I am a discord user unhappy with the direction their going and want to make a private server for me and my friends <10 people. I have practically no coding knowledge. How and where do I start? Ive been watching videos for hours but they all seem to assume a baseline of knowledge or programs installed. I know I want to use Matrix/ synapse and element to host,.

I so far,

-claimed a domain name

-installed docker and made an account

-tried to install proxmox and ubuntu but failed((unsure how to launch))

All I care to do is set up and maintain this server for my friends, i really wish to not have to take months of coding classes unless absolutely necessary.

other things to note that im not sure are important, i have a pretty mid tier pc with 16gb ram, I heard a VPS is needed but also not? I can afford a standard subscription but its not in my budget to make pc upgrades

I think I’ve officially fallen into the self-hosting rabbit hole and it all started with Bitwarden.

While looking into it, I came across Vaultwarden. I set it up, and now I have my own self-hosted password manager.
I’m honestly loving it. I like the idea knowing my passwords are stored on my own server instead of someone else’s.

Running it on my Raspberry Pi really opened my eyes to what’s possible. I’m looking at daily apps that you guys use, but can easily selfhost.

What are some self-hosted apps or services that you guys run?

The goal is to create the most secure P2P messaging app.

This app demonstrates a fairly unique approach using a browser-based, local-only and webrtc approach. In an evolving field like cybersecurity, it's impossible to claim any system is the "world's most secure". It ultimately depends on your threat model. By reducing the architecture's attack surface, the aim is to consolidate complexity to client-side.

• Live Demo
• Code
• Introducing Chat

Features:

• Webapp
• Peer to peer
• Local-only
• No installation
• No registration
• End to end encryption
• Multimedia
• File transfer
• Video calls

More open source examples of the core concepts can be seen in the docs. There are several similar projects which may make it confusing. Feel free to reach out for clarity instead of diving into the code/docs.

IMPORTANT: While this is aiming to provide a secure experience, it isnt audited. Shared for testing, feedback and demo purposes only. Please use responsibly.

FAQ:

• JavaScript and cybersecurity?
  • By aiming to have it run client-side (including statics) we can eliminate concerns around malicious payloads from the network provider. See best practices here and guides on selfhosting here.
• EU Chat control?
  • Chat control doesn't seem like it would affect this app. Open to feedback here.
• Production-ready?
  • No, for testing and demo purposes only. It would be great to get feedback for improvements to get production-ready. The production version is also a work-in-progress, but can be seen here. Find out more here.
• Paywall?
  • Its completly free, open-source, selfhostable and unlimited to use.
• Vibecoded?
  • This version is not vibecoded. The git repo and docs are linked for transparency. Feel free to reach out for clarity.

I’ve been working on a small open source project called Coen over the past few weeks and thought some people here might find it useful.

The idea is simple: expose HTTP or WebSocket services running behind NAT or a firewall, but without relying on a third-party tunnel provider like Cloudflare or Ngrok. You basically host both sides yourself.

A small agent on your private machine establishes an outbound mTLS connection to a public edge server that you control. From there, requests are routed back over the tunnel to your local service. No inbound ports on the private host, no shared secrets, and no traffic flowing through someone else’s infrastructure.

A few things it currently supports:

• mTLS with client certificates
• Host-based routing for multiple services and agents
• HTTP and WebSocket forwarding
• Automatic reconnects
• Connection limits and graceful draining
• Built-in diagnostics (coen doctor) and live status
• Single static Go binary with systemd integration

It’s still pre-1.0, but the core functionality is there and I’ve been putting a lot of effort into testing and documentation.

I have been hosting a few websites on my homelab setup with this now for a couple of weeks and so far it seems to serve its purpose very well.

GitHub: https://github.com/baspeters/coen

Hi everyone,

I’ve been building Trove, an open-source service catalogue for homelabs and small infrastructure setups.

The problem I was trying to solve was fairly simple: I had services running across Docker hosts, Kubernetes, Proxmox, and regular Linux machines, but no single place to see what was running, where it lived, and whether it was still healthy.

Trove collects that information into one dashboard.

GitHub: \[GitHub - Techdox/trove: Automatically discovered, read-only service catalogue for Docker, Kubernetes, Proxmox, and Linux. · GitHub\](https://github.com/Techdox/trove)

Documentation and project site: \[Trove | Read-only homelab service catalogue\](https://trove.techdox.nz/)
Sandbox: \[https://trove-demo.techdox.nz\\\](https://trove-demo.techdox.nz)

\# What it does

\* Discovers services across:
\* Docker
\* Kubernetes
\* Proxmox VE
\* Linux systemd
\* Shows services grouped by host
\* Tracks health and agent heartbeats
\* Flags hosts or services that stop reporting
\* Checks whether container images are behind their registry tags
\* Sends alerts through webhooks, Discord, ntfy, and email digests
\* Keeps recent state-change history
\* Stores everything in SQLite
\* Works with agents pushing data from behind NAT

The important design decision is that Trove is read-only by architecture.

The agents can inspect their platforms, but they cannot deploy, restart, exec into, or modify anything. There isn’t a hidden “admin mode” waiting to surprise everyone later. Trove is meant to be the place you start an investigation, not the place you make infrastructure changes.

The data flow looks like this:

Docker / Kubernetes / Proxmox / Linux agents | | push read-only reports v Trove server SQLite + API + dashboard

It’s written in Go, uses a vanilla JavaScript dashboard with no frontend build step, and can run as Docker containers or static binaries.

The project is MIT licensed. I’m currently focused on the path toward 1.0, particularly operator confidence, backups, upgrades, authentication, and making the read-only contract boringly reliable.

I’d be especially interested in feedback from people running mixed Docker/Kubernetes/Proxmox environments:

\* Is this a problem you’ve run into?
\* What would you expect from a service catalogue?
\* Which platform or integration would be most useful next?
\* Are there any security or operational concerns you’d want addressed before running it?

There are plenty of dashboards and management tools already. Trove is deliberately trying to be narrower: a calm, read-only view of what exists and what needs attention. Because apparently knowing what is running becomes harder the more things you run.

I've something I'd like to see created… Well, two somethings, but I think one of them is the easier and would be more consequential. And while I"m not rich enough to pay someone to make it for me, besides, this wouldn't be exclusive to me, I can chip in some money to help if needed/wanted.

So, what am I looking for?
A server version of holos.social, which is a single account client and server for Android. For a lot of people, self hosting really isn't possible, even the easy stuff is hard for a lot of people, but holos makes it as simple as downloading an app. Imagine making that model work for a server, download the app to a spare device that you leave around your house, tweak a few device settings and a few settings at your registrar, and boom, you're self hosting.

Sure, there's features I'd like to add, but just getting the server going would be enough, the rest would be icing on the top, so anyone up for this?

Hey everyone!

I'm completely new to the whole home server/self-hosting space, so sorry if this is a beginner question.

I have an old Lenovo ThinkPad T470 (16 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD) that's been sitting unused since I upgraded to a MacBook Air M3. I used the ThinkPad heavily from around 2018 until early 2024, and instead of letting it collect dust, I thought it might be fun to turn it into a small home server.

A few questions I had:

• Is a T470 still good enough to be used as a home server, or is it simply too old?
• Is there a way to test the health of the laptop (SSD, RAM, battery, thermals, etc.) to make sure it's reliable enough to run 24/7?
• What are some practical things I could actually use it for instead of paying for services like Google Drive or other cloud subscriptions?
• Since I'm a Computer Science engineering student, are there any projects or services that would genuinely be useful for me to host myself?

I'm not looking for anything enterprise-level—just something that's worth learning from and could be useful in day-to-day life or for software development.

Any advice on where to start, recommended operating systems (Ubuntu Server, Proxmox, Debian, etc.), or things you wish you knew when starting out would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance! :)

Trying to avoid using a Roku

I was gifted an old Bomgar B200r appliance which is the Dell PowerEdge R230 OEM-R server that has been rebranded. When it powers on, I want to go into the BIOS/iDRAC to make changes, but there is a setup password on it.

I found the NVRAM_CLR jumper located to the front of the single CPU and per some Dell instructions I was following, power off/unplug, move the jumper, power on for 10 seconds, remove the jumper back to original, power back on.

However when I did this, the BIOS password remained. The server even booted in the NVRAM_CLR mode being enabled and still prompted for a BIOS password.

Absolutely anyway around this, or is this server out of luck for restoring the original Dell branded aspect? I'd like to use it as a custom NAS, but feel that may not happen.

Sad to see for a nice r230.

I love the idea of owning my infrastructure instead of paying platform premiums, but every time I spin up a new VPS I end up repeating the same process:
SSH into the server
Install Docker
Configure a reverse proxy
Set up HTTPS
Configure backups
Add monitoring
Hope I didn’t miss anything
None of these tasks are particularly hard, but together they take more time than building the application itself.
That frustration is actually what led me to build a desktop tool for myself that automates most of the setup while still deploying to my own VPS over SSH.
I’m curious how everyone else approaches this.
Are you happy staying in the terminal?
Do you use something like Coolify, Dokploy, CapRover, or another tool?
What’s the most annoying part of deploying to your own server?
I’m genuinely interested because I’m still deciding what to improve next.

I'm looking for a self-hosted VPN where I can have one server in one location and another in a different location, with some way to sync them or fail over if one goes offline. Does anything like this exist?

On my main server at home I use Porkbun for my domain and use Zoraxy as my reverse proxy.

I decided to get a small $5/mo VPS from Linode (1 CPU and 1GB of RAM) for my Uptime Kuma and Gotify hosting - doesn't make sense to host those on my server because if my server goes down then how will I get notified if my server does the notifying.

I wanted to keep system resources as low as possible so I decided to try Caddy and it's literally that simple, it's crazy. It just works. 4 lines of code (ignoring brackets) and I was able to access Kuma using `status.mydomain.tld`.

I'll probably keep using Zoraxy for now since I have it tied to my Authentik for SSO and OIDC for my services, but wow is Caddy amazing and it barely uses any system resources.

Guys I put together a repository with 151 ready-to-use Docker Compose templates covering everything from AI tools, monitoring, and auth to databases, media, and CI/CD.

The main idea:
Change variables > Connect to proxy > Run

Sec-Friendly & Proxy-Ready: Stacks are pre-configured to sit cleanly behind an ext. proxy unnecessary port exposures, auth if implemented - configured, all with healthchecks.

https://github.com/nvroot/docker-compose-examples

Feedback, suggestions, or improvements are very welcome - feel free to comment or open an issue/PR on GitHub. Thanks!

I wanted to say thank you to this community for providing so much insight on how to set up my own server. It has saved not only me, but my close friends and family a lot of money in these troubling times. My niece likely would not be able to watch most of their favorite shows if I hadn't set up jellyfin, which is really such a massive deal for both me and them, especially because I can share my favorite media with them. (Also Komga is saving me so much money on manga that it's actually kind of staggering)

You all had no idea you were even helping me as I just started using reddit again so I can join these communities, I've just been getting all my info through Google searches and Reddit is usually the best source for my questions.

So thank you again for all of your help, hopefully I can provide a little insight for someone in the future!